A Muslim cleric, Sheikh Abdullah el-Faisal, was today convicted of soliciting murder and inciting racial hatred, in the first prosecution of its kind in Britain.
The Old Bailey jury found El-Faisal guilty of three charges relating to inciting racial hatred as well as three charges of soliciting murder. He was remanded in custody for sentencing on March 7.
El-Faisal had denied five charges of soliciting the murder of non-believers, Jews, Americans and Hindus, and four charges relating to inciting racial hatred.
The ground-breaking trial was the first prosecution of a Muslim cleric in Britain. It was also the first time potential jurors were banned from sitting on the jury because of their religion. The judge agreed to a defence plea not to allow Jewish and Hindu jurors - but in the end none came forward.
It was also the first time in more than 100 years that anyone had been charged under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act of soliciting murder without a specific victim.
Jamaican-born El-Faisal, who converted to Islam at the age of 16, was arrested by police investigating British links with al-Qaida. He had been acquainted with James Ujaama*, who is accused of setting up a terrorist training camp in America. Mr Ujaama was heard asking questions at two lectures.
Tapes of El-Faisal's study circle lectures, given around the country, went on sale at specialist bookshops. In them, he was heard calling for the death of nonbelievers, and making references to training schoolboys to shoot Kalashnikovs.
He was heard quoting the words of Osama bin Laden and backed the use of nuclear and chemical weapons. On the cover of one recording was a picture of the burning World Trade Centre.
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El-Faisal told his audiences: "You have to learn to fly planes, drive tanks and you have to learn how to load your guns and to use missiles."
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El-Faisal promised that those who died during a holy war would not feel pain and would go to heaven, where they would be given 72 virgins.
"We believe in the bullet not the ballot," he told them. In another speech, El-Faisal told youngsters: "People with British passports, if you fly into Israel, it is easy ... Fly into Israel and do whatever you can. If you die, you are up in paradise.
"How do you fight a Jew? You kill a Jew. In the case of Hindus, by bombing their businesses."
The verdict was welcomed by Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, head of the Anti-Terrorist Squad.
He said: "This case was nothing to do with freedom of speech, but everything to do with racial hatred and religious bigotry - and encouraging people to commit acts of terrorism.
"When you look at the words that he was saying, it goes beyond being misguided or over-enthusiastic. It is naked religious and racial hatred."
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The taped material was "deeply offensive" and the claim that it was taken from the Koran was untrue, Mr Clarke said, adding: "The Muslim community are appalled by the things he was saying.
One wonders how much of the Muslim community was "appalled' and if the Koran says these things about murder of non-Muslims with the reward of Paradise or not.
[In my research I've learned that Mohammed himself didn't want the Koran to be in any language but Arabic, so for the most part, we Westerners have to take the Arabs' word for it what's in there and what isn't and you know *their* record for truthfulness, especially to we "infidels."]
I think it depends which sect of Islam you adhere to and which parts of the Koran you choose to follow, but I definitely believe that the slaughter of kafirs (non-believers) and Jews is in there.
The Muslim community (all 1 billion of them) itself is going to have a decision to make very soon:
Does their religion say these things or not?
And if it does sanction murder or enslavement of people of other races and religions, should it continue to be practiced freely and to endure as a major world religion?
I'm quite happy about this conviction and I think it may be the first conviction of a Muslim cleric for preaching hate and murder anywhere in the world and not just a first for Britain.
Needless to say, given the fact that these Muslim clerics are all preaching the same hate in mosques all over the world every Friday, it's a modest start, but it is a start.
Now if Britain could only do something similar (or even more harsh in punishment) to that Islamist cleric dirtbag Abu Hamza!
*"...James Ujaama, the Seattle Muslim convert indicted for allegedly conspiring to set up an al-Qaida training camp in 1999 on a small ranch near Bly, Ore.
